Charlotte Church’s forest school could be closed as neighbours complain about ‘detrimental’ feature
A woodland education initiative founded by Welsh singer Charlotte Church on a former pig farm near Cardiff is threatened with closure after operating for two years without the necessary planning consent.
The Awen Project, which Ms Church has described as “a free-to-attend democratic school in the woods,” began running from its site in Wenvoe, Vale of Glamorgan, in 2024 without securing authorisation for the change of land use.
Ms Church’s charity sought retrospective permission from Vale of Glamorgan Council in October 2025, but the application was turned down.
Officials pointed to worries about transport safety, noise disturbance and the impact on nearby residents.
Planners concluded that the project had not adequately demonstrated it would ‘conserve and enhance green infrastructure’
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Planners also concluded that the project had not adequately demonstrated it would “conserve and enhance green infrastructure.”
Neighbours stated they had “witnessed parents vehicles parking illegally” and reporting that children could be heard screaming and shouting, The Independent reports.
They also alleged the youngsters “have been ‘rude’ to neighbours.”
“These unneighbourly behaviours are detrimental to the amenities of local residents,” one couple said.
The site in Wenvoe remains largely undeveloped
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A council spokesperson confirmed the application was rejected due to “concerns regarding the sustainability” of the location, with the “potential impact on neighbouring residents” forming another key consideration.
Authorities additionally found there was “insufficient supporting evidence to satisfy concerns around the potential impact of the proposal on biodiversity and the natural environment.”
The site in Wenvoe remains largely undeveloped, with only minor temporary structures in place — a welfare unit, a canvas shelter and a compost toilet.
Jonathan Field, identified by the Awen Project as a “tribal elder,” has challenged the council’s decision before Planning and Environment Decisions Wales.
He firmly rejected the neighbours’ accusations, stating: “The fact that children make sound when they are learning, whether that is singing and playing instruments or making excited cries at having discovered something that chimes with their passions, is a terrible reason to argue against them having a place to learn.”
He called the claims of antisocial conduct “unfortunately pure projection – totally unfounded and with zero evidence.”
In his appeal submission, Mr Field warned that denying permission puts the learning community “at risk of immediate and severe disruption.”
He stressed that many pupils had previously faltered in mainstream settings and had since discovered “stability, confidence, and purpose” through the project, arguing that losing access would inflict “significant emotional and educational harm.”
The project has a troubled track record. It was previously based in Cwm George and Casehill Woods near Dinas Powys, but the Woodland Trust withdrew its licence agreement in 2023 after identifying “multiple breaches” of the terms granted, which it said “posed health and safety concerns” for “visitors and wildlife.”
The Awen Project responded at the time by saying it had given its “best efforts to salvage” the relationship.
Despite the planning setback in Wenvoe, the project insisted it would not be shutting down.
“We have simply moved on from land that was only ever temporary – which is the model that we operate under,” it said in a statement.
The organisation also noted that Ms Church had not been involved with the project for some time.
PEDW confirmed the appeal had been received but said no hearing date had yet been set.
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